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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ghislaine Maxwell is not a victim. And if she is pardoned, it won't be for the sake of justice
Roll up! Roll up! The Ghislaine Maxwell Rehabilitation Tour is coming to town. You may think Jeffrey Epstein's associate and former girlfriend is now behind bars for good reason but, according to some big brains in the Maga-sphere, poor old Maxwell may have suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice. Maxwell 'just might be a victim', Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly mused on air recently. 'She just might be. There was a rush to judgment … All right, granted, she hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, and I know that's apparently not good, but she's in jail. For how long now? Twenty years.' To discuss this further, Kelly brought on Alan Dershowitz, whom he introduced as 'one of the greatest attorneys who ever lived'. Which certainly isn't how I'd describe the retired Harvard professor. Dershowitz, who helped procure a lenient plea deal for Epstein in 2008, also wrote an op-ed for the LA Times in 1997 headlined Statutory Rape Is an Outdated Concept, in which he argued 15 seems 'appropriate' for the age of consent. Dershowitz suggested some 'reasonable people' might even favour 14 – which happens to be the age of some of Epstein's victims. When that op-ed resurfaced in 2019, after Epstein's arrest, Dershowitz defended it, saying he stood by 'the constitutional (not moral) argument' offered. Dershowitz now reckons Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on five counts of aiding Epstein in his abuse of underage girls and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022, has suffered enough. 'She shouldn't have been in jail for five years for what she is alleged to have done,' Dershowitz told Newsmax on Sunday. 'She served more time than anybody has ever served for any comparable offence.' I'm sure I don't need to spell out why others seem to be attempting to rebrand Maxwell as the victim of a stitch-up. The Epstein files have turned into a disaster of Trump's own making. He hasn't been able to distract people from the story, so now there is speculation that he is trying to make some sort of deal with Maxwell. Who, by the way, had secretive conversations with Trump's department of justice last week and, on Monday, asked the supreme court to overturn her conviction, saying she was unjustly prosecuted. One can imagine a scenario in which Maxwell releases a few select details about Epstein that absolve Trump and make his enemies look bad in exchange for a pardon. ('I'm allowed to give her a pardon but nobody's approached me with it,' Trump said on Monday.) However, for that hypothetical strategy to be successful, Maxwell's reputation needs to be rehabilitated. She would need to look like a victim rather than a monster. Which is where Newsmax, and its sudden interest in Maxwell, might help. The cable news channel, which is to the right of Fox News, is essentially a pro-Trump propaganda outlet with strong financial ties to the president. Earlier this month the outlet announced that it had struck a deal for the Trump Media and Technology Group Corp to stream Newsmax on its platform. Which obviously raises a lot of conflict-of-interest questions. 'This is now the Trump network,' one Newsmax insider complained to the Independent last week. 'Even the most conservative people at Newsmax think it's a terrible look and they feel like state-run media.' Also raising questions is the fact that Alex Acosta, the prosecutor who gave Epstein that plea deal in 2008, happens to be on the board of Newsmax. I don't know what will happen next with Maxwell, but I can tell you that I absolutely believe the women Epstein abused over anchors on Trump's propaganda channel. And I believe those women over Maxwell herself. Epstein's accusers have repeatedly been clear that Maxwell was no victim. 'She didn't just procure girls for Epstein – she participated in their abuse,' accuser Annie Farmer told ABC News on Monday. Now it's looking increasingly likely that, instead of releasing the Epstein files, Trump will release Maxwell instead. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Who is Robert Shinn? Feds raid LA home of alleged ‘TikTok Cult' pastor in sex trafficking probe
Federal agents and EI Monte Police swarmed a Tujunga residence linked to Robert Shinn on Friday morning, serving a search warrant tied to serious allegations of sex trafficking, tax evasion, money laundering, and pandemic-era fraud, reported the LA Times. The property, located at 7744 McGroarty Street, is linked to the founder of Shekinah Church and 7M Films. Shinn is also the central figure in the Netflix docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. Robert Shinn is also the central figure in the Netflix docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult.(Netflix) The multi-agency raid, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS, US Postal Service, and Department of Labor, began around 6 am local time, with SWAT officers breaching the gated estate. Neighbors reported hearing flash-bangs and loudspeaker commands as federal agents detained at least six persons, including an older woman and a mother clutching a child. The LA Times stated that the authorities had not confirmed any arrests as of Friday evening. Also read: Tik Tok cult exposed in latest Netflix documentary: Wilking sisters' journey in Dancing for the Devil Robert Shinn's Netflix fame and cult allegations Shinn, who founded 7M Films in 2021, claimed to help TikTok influencers break into the Los Angeles entertainment scene, a KTLA report said. However, the docuseries portrayed a darker story with many former members accusing him of manipulation, emotional abuse, and exploitation under the guise of religion and talent management. The series, which featured former clients like Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick, recounted how dancers were allegedly pressured to sever ties with family and adhere to rigid spiritual teachings to gain 'salvation'. Despite these claims, no formal sexual assault charges were brought against Shinn, the KTLA report added. His company has denied all allegations and said the Netflix series was 'slanderous work of fiction' and part of a 'failed extortion attempt.' Also read: Hulk Hogan dies: From leaked sex tape to racism row, WWE star's biggest controversies Robert Shinn's legal battles The lawsuits pit Shinn against former members of his church and talent agency. While Shinn has filed a defamation claim, the defendants have countersued, accusing him of fraud, forced labor, human trafficking, and sexual battery, the report added. Tujunga residents have meanwhile expressed mixed reactions. Some described the property as secretive and unsettling, with high walls and closed-off windows. Others, like neighbor Anthony Jackson, said they were shaken by the allegations. 'This is a quiet neighborhood,' he told the LA Times and added, 'We never saw anything out of the ordinary.' FAQs Who is Robert Shinn? Shinn is a pastor and founder of Shekinah Church and 7M Films, a talent agency. He is the central figure in Dancing for the Devil, a Netflix docuseries alleging cult-like abuse. What is the investigation about? Federal agents are investigating allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion, and pandemic-era fraud. Was anyone arrested? As of now, authorities have not confirmed any arrests related to the raid. Is this connected to the Netflix docuseries? While officials have not formally confirmed a link, the raid targeted the same property featured in the documentary. When is the trial? The civil trial involving Shinn and former members is scheduled to begin on October 27, 2025.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Old-School Sandwich Anthony Bourdain Couldn't Stand To Eat
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Anthony Bourdain — chef, television show host, and author — had no shortage of opinions when it came to food and dining. He was firm about which cuisines he considered underappreciated in the U.S., and offered plenty of great advice for how to find delicious meals in any city. However, some dishes were targeted by Bourdain's sharply honed disdain — and one of the most consistent targets of his culinary wrath was the seemingly innocuous old-school club sandwich. In his 2016 cookbook "Appetites," Bourdain famously expressed a strong dislike for the dish. He explained to the LA Times, "I'm really irritated by that useless middle slice of bread on the club sandwich. It's been there forever; it's not a trend. It's lasted for decades and why, when we can so easily dispense with it?" Bourdain's contempt for the club sandwich wasn't confined to one rant — it was a recurring theme in his fiery food commentary. As reported by Thrillist, in a notorious list titled "Crimes Against Food," he doubled down on his hatred, describing the sandwich's third slice of bread as an invention by "enemies of freedom" meant to "sap our will to live by ruining our sandwich experiences through 'tectonic slide.'" And in a 2016 interview with NPR, Bourdain again railed against the extra bread in a club sandwich, saying, "The third slice of bread on a club sandwich, I think, is a satanic invention." He was nothing if not consistent in his tastes. Read more: Foods Anthony Bourdain Hated With A Passion Bourdain's Many Sandwich-Based Beefs Anthony Bourdain was all about authenticity in food; he despised artifice. So a sandwich with extra bread easily slid into the category of overbuilt and underwhelming. But the club sandwich was not alone in his "Crimes Against Food" list. The brioche burger bun was another bread-based beef the chef had. "God is against the brioche bun," he wrote. "The hamburger bun is designed to ABSORB grease, not add greasiness to the experience." For Bourdain, burgers had an architectural logic: structurally sound, texturally balanced, and best served on a humble potato bun. Bourdain similarly hated Kobe burgers, deeming them "utterly fraudulent" when served in over-hyped restaurants or popular gathering spots for "bro's," along with his contempt for those who ordered them. Even eggs Benedict wasn't safe. That soft muffin served at brunch spots drew his ire: "The lazy cook toasts it under the broiler for a few seconds on one side, leaving the outer surface gummy and raw tasting and lacking the textural note your poached egg and Canadian bacon and sauce desperately need," he declared. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Food Republic.
New York Post
23-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Billionaire LA Times owner announces he's taking the newspaper public
Billionaire Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong announced on Monday that he would be taking the newspaper public sometime in the next year, calling it a move to democratize the paper. 'It's important for the paper to have the voices of all, and that's what I wanted to do, right?' he said on 'The Daily Show.' 'Whether you're right, left, Democrat, Republican, you're an American, so the opportunity for us to provide a paper that is the voices of the people, truly the voices of the people, so I'm going to announce something to you tonight… we're literally going to take the LA Times public and allow it to be democratized.' Soon-Shiong bought the newspaper for $500 million in 2018. He said the offering would allow the public to have ownership of the newspaper and a say on the board. He didn't delve into specifics as to how that would look in practice. 'I'm working with an organization that's putting that together right now,' Soon-Shiong told host Jon Stewart of the process of taking the newspaper public. 4 LA Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong appears on 'The Daily Show' on July 21, 2025. The Daily Show/YouTube 4 The Los Angeles Times building in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. on Feb. 7, 2018. AP 'Ethics get cloudy if, in fact, the truth is not told,' Soon-Shiong said on Monday. 'Our institutions today, there's so much distrust. Unless you have truth and trust, those two words, I think we're not going to have any healing in the country… I live this American dream. I'm an immigrant here, right? So to me, this is really a wonderful opportunity for us to have the privilege of being an American.' The interview with Stewart mainly delved into Soon-Shiong's efforts to cure cancer. In addition to holding the Times, Soon-Shiong is a surgeon, medical researcher and biotech entrepreneur who's seeking to develop a cancer vaccine. The decision to go public comes amid news of the Los Angeles Times' financial struggles. In April, AdWeek reported the paper had lost $50 million in 2024, the same year it laid off 115 staffers. 4 Soon-Shiong shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the Lusail Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 4 The decision to go public comes amid news of the Los Angeles Times' financial struggles. AFP via Getty Images Soon-Shiong's tenure has also been marked by discontent on the staff, particularly over his recent efforts to moderate its content. He defended his moves to reform the paper's left-leaning opinion pages in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year. 'I really wanted to make sure that we are a trusted source for all Americans,' Soon-Shiong said in January. 'Clearly, California is blue, very blue. When our opinion pages were so one-sided, and these are just opinions, I wanted to make sure that everybody had a chance to voice their own opinion. And more importantly, opinion based on facts, not on speculation.' He also incensed liberal media observers when, like Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, he yanked a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Soon-Shiong has expressed past willingness to work with the Trump administration on his cancer moonshot and disappointment at a lack of partnership from the Biden administration. Fox News Digital has reached out to the LA Times for additional comment.
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
General Atlantic's Kotzin Sees IPOs Taking Off in 2026
Hi, it's Swetha Gopinath in London, getting a global IPO outlook from a senior executive at private equity investor General Atlantic. Also today, the billionaire owner of the LA Times plans to take the newspaper public. Today's top stories
